Quick Start

Just the Basics

This is all you need to know to get started with a basic Sound List. The following steps explain how to setup a list of sounds and play them. See the rest of this help document for instructions on using advanced features.

A Sound List is made up of multiple Sound Items which are displayed in the Sound List panel (left side). Using the Sound Item Editor panel (right side), you apply attribute values to each Sound Item. Attributes include things like the associated audio file name, special effects (3D and Fx) and sequencing. Sound Lists retain all the attribute information so at the time of the performance, you need only click the play button. You should understand that Sound Mill never modifies an audio file directly. Effects are applied when you play the sound and can be changed as many times as desired without affecting the audio file itself.

Building and Editing a Sound List

• Sound list name - You can name the list to something that logically identifies it. For example, "Grease Act I". Click Edit List -- Name to set the name.
• Add audio sounds by drag and drop - For productive editing you can drag and drop audio files into the Sound List panel from Windows Explorer (or most any file manager). A new Sound Item is added to the list for each dropped file. Sound Items are inserted at the position of the current selected item. It takes a quarter of a second to process each file dropped, so if you drop a lot of files, expect a short delay. You can also drop a folder of audio files. And you can drop a saved Sound List to open it.
• Add a single audio sound - Click an existing Sound Item in the list where you want to add a new one. Then click the New Sound Item button on the Edit toolbar . Once the new item is added, use the Browse button on the Descriptors panel to set the item's audio file name.
• Add Fx Effects - Click on the Sound Item in the list, then click the Fx Effects button on the Editors toolbar . The Fx Editor will popup and allow you to add and save Fx Effects.
• Add 3D Effects - Click on the Sound Item in the list, then click the 3D Effects button on the Editors toolbar . The 3D Editor will popup and allow you to add and save 3D Effects. 3D Effects can only be played using the 3D Editor.
• Moving sounds in the list - Click on the Sound Item in the list, then use the green Up/Down arrow button on the Edit toolbar to move the Sound Item to a different position in the list.
• Copy/Cut - Click on a Sound Item in the list, then use Copy or Cut button to copy the selected item into the Sound Mill clipboard. All attributes of the item are copied including 3D and Fx settings. Cut also removes the selected item from the list. Cut does NOT remove the physical audio file from your computer.
• Paste - Click the Paste button. The Sound Item in the Sound Mill clipboard is pasted into the list at the position of the current selected Sound Item.


Edit toolbar

Editors toolbar

Using Play Controls

• Play a sound - Click on the Sound Item in the list, then click the Play button on the Play Controls panel . The sound plays from the beginning. Multiple sounds can be played at the same time. For example, start the sound of rain fall in loop mode and occasionally play a thunder sound.
• Stop a sound - Click on the Sound Item in the list, then click the Stop button. This also has the affect of resetting the sound to the beginning (aka rewind).
• Pause a sound - Click on the Sound Item in the list, then click the Pause button. Play is now paused.
• Resume a sound - If the sound has been previously paused, click the Resume button and play resumes from the position where it was paused.
• Volume - Drag the Volume slider to lower or raise the volume of the sound.
• Pan - Drag the Pan slider to move the sound from left or right speakers.


Play toolbar

Setting Descriptors

• Name - Each Sound Item has a Name field located on the Descriptors panel. You can set the Name as desired to identify the Sound Item in the context of your production. It is best to keep it short (a few words max) but the is no character limit. Name is used to identify each item in the Sound List.
• Description - This allows you to add comments or instructions for the sound engineer who is operating the sound console. This can be multiple lines of text.
• Sound file - Each Sound Item has an associated audio file. You can change the audio file at any time using the Browse button. The time duration of the sound is displayed next to the filename.

Saving and Re-opening the Sound List

• Save - Click File -- Save to save the Sound List for future use. The default Sound List file extension is '.slt'.
• Open - Click File -- Open to open a previous saved Sound List.